Green leader gives support to Oxfordshire charity in visit

The leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett paid a visit to Oxford last week and showed her support for a local immigration charity.

Ms Bennett visited Asylum Welcome in Magdalen Road while touring the city to meet the charity’s leaders and volunteers.

She also visited the site of the East Oxford Community Centre and the Lye Valley.

Ms Bennett, who has been leader of the party since 2012, told the Guardian: “We’ve heard stories of enormous human suffering here.”

She added: “Asylum Welcome are really trying to undo the failures of the government.

“I think the charity is great.”

The charity aims to support refugees, asylum seekers and immigration detainees across the county.

The 120 volunteers working there offer advice, education and run events for anyone seeking asylum or refuge.

The director of Asylum Welcome, Kate Smart, said: “The clue is in the name. We believe that people seeking refuge or asylum in Oxford deserve to be welcomed by local people.

“The government is trying to pass a bill that would cut funding to refugees with children.”

The charity and Ms Bennett both want to prevent parliament from passing the bill.

The Home Office has proposed the removal of asylum support payments and accommodation from families with young children, described by Ms Smart as ‘a complete absence of basic, decent humanitarian values.’

Ms Smart said: “Most people don’t come here for the £35 a week they get, they come here because it’s not safe in their countries.

“Many feel homesick and go home as soon as it’s safe for them to.”

Ms Bennett also visited the East Oxford Community Centre to show support for residents who want to keep the centre under their control.

She said: “Oxford is one of the areas with the strongest green support.

“We’ve have great representation on the city and county councils and we’re looking to grow.”